Who knew making ricotta cheese would be ridiculously simple! I was envisioning chemical equations, complicated ingredients, and thermometer horrors. All one needs is some milk, citric acid and salt and voila you have ricotta cheese.
Roger is the cheesemaker of the family, and he would always be measuring and muttering like a mad scientist that I was too intimated to try it. He hasn’t made any cheese in several years, and I am craving his Guinness cheddar cheese and quark, so I decided to take the plunge and learn how to make cheese.
Ricotta cheese is one of the beginner cheeses, and I found it very easy to make. Basically, you add all the ingredients into a pot and bring it to a boil. Let it rest for a few minutes, drain, and there is your ricotta.
Cheese making definitely has a learning curve to it and comes with a whole new set of terminology such as citric acid, bacteria, calcium chloride, cultures, coagulants, curds, ripening, etc. I am finding the book “Artisan Cheese Making At Home” by Mary Karlin to be very informative. She has broken down the cheese making process into easy, intermediate and advanced chapters as well as some recipes to use the cheese with. I am looking forward to this adventure.
C&R's Kitchen 